Indonesia Group Tourists Get Visa-Free Korea Travel From May 28 Through December 2026

Indonesian group tourists can enter South Korea without a visa under a temporary program that begins on May 28, 2026 and runs through the end of December 2026. The measure is designed for groups of three or more people recruited by designated travel agencies, making it a targeted Korea visa-free travel option rather than a general waiver for all Indonesian visitors.¹

The program was announced by the Ministry of Justice after consultation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It follows a tourism strategy direction first presented at the 11th National Tourism Strategy Meeting on February 25, 2026, where the government said it would pursue a pilot visa-free system for Indonesian group tourists of three or more people.²

Indonesia Group Tourists Visa-Free Korea Entry: Key Facts

The most important point for travelers is that the waiver applies only when the trip is arranged through designated travel agencies. Reports describe the eligible visitors as Indonesian group tourists recruited by dedicated travel agencies in Indonesia, or by domestic and overseas designated agencies, with the group size set at three or more people.¹³

This is a pilot program, so travelers should treat the conditions as part of the trip structure rather than optional paperwork. The waiver is linked to group management, agency submission, and shared transport conditions. If any of those conditions are not met, the source material does not state that the traveler can still use this program.

What Travelers And Agencies Need To Check

For travelers, the first practical question is whether the trip is truly a qualifying group tour. The stated minimum is three people, and the tour must be organized by a designated agency. The available source material does not provide a public list of those agencies, so travelers should confirm directly with the tour operator whether it is officially designated for this program and whether it will submit the required list through Hi Korea.

The second question is timing. The visa-free period begins on May 28, 2026. It is described as continuing until December, with Yonhap reporting the end of December and Money Today specifying December 31, 2026.¹⁴ A trip outside that window is not covered by the facts available here.

The third question is trip length. The maximum visa-free stay is 15 days. Multiple reports state that eligible Indonesian group tourists may tour South Korea without a visa for up to 15 days, and Newsis adds that the travel may cover the whole country within that limit.¹³

The fourth question is transport. The group must arrive and depart using the same aircraft or ship service. That condition matters because the waiver is built around a managed group entry and exit process, not separate individual itineraries.

For travel agencies, the list submission deadline is central. The group list must be submitted through Hi Korea at least 24 hours before entry. If the group enters by ship, the deadline is at least 36 hours before entry.¹ The Ministry of Justice also plans advance checks of group tourist lists to screen out higher-risk cases, including people subject to entry restrictions or those with a previous illegal stay record.⁵⁶

There is also an oversight mechanism for agencies. If a designated agency’s quarterly unauthorized departure rate exceeds 2%, its designation will be canceled.⁵ That means agencies have a continuing compliance obligation, not only a one-time submission task.

The policy background is rising travel demand from Indonesia. The government cited Indonesian visitor numbers to South Korea of 250,249 in 2023, 336,185 in 2024, and 365,596 in 2025.³ Officials also linked the measure to expectations for local economies and demand connected with K-content tourism.⁴

A short statement from the Ministry of Justice’s immigration policy side said the measure is expected to have “significant economic ripple effects” across the tourism industry.⁶ Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho also said the ministry would work closely with related ministries, while Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young described the measure as an important opportunity.¹³

작성자 소개

Cloi Lee

Author

모든 글 보기